The Best Shrubs for a Tall Screen Quickly

Linsay Evans

Growing shrubs in the landscape offers many benefits, among them privacy. A fast-growing shrub can create a screen or hedge that blocks unwanted views, muffles sounds and defines areas within the landscape. Hedges can be formal or informal. A formal hedge requires regular pruning and shaping. The University of Rhode Island recommends pruning fast-growing, informal hedges -- or a row of shrubs allowed to grow naturally -- in early June, in mid- to late-July, and again in early to mid-September.